Kyrenia (Girne) or İskele: Where to Buy a New Build?

Kyrenia (Girne) is the better bet if you want a villa, a wider choice of settings and a project that is more likely to be finished already. İskele suits you better if you want a studio or a small flat on a large seafront site around Long Beach and you are comfortable waiting longer for the keys. That is the picture from the 116 projects published on satisofisi.com for the two districts on 25 October 2026: 69 in Kyrenia and 47 in İskele.

This page sets the two districts side by side, using the project records on this site and figures from the TRNC Statistical Institute, and finishes with the questions that usually settle the choice. Prices are not shown here; ask the developer for them through each project page.

Who is this guide for?

It is for UK buyers who have narrowed North Cyprus down to Kyrenia or İskele and want a new build from a developer, be it a villa, a flat or a studio. It helps most if you have not yet settled two questions: whether you want a finished home or one bought off-plan, and whether you would rather live in an established town or on a large resort site.

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Kyrenia and İskele side by side

The unit-type figures count projects that list their unit types (64 in Kyrenia, 44 in İskele). The delivery figures use the dates developers have published; projects whose date has passed are counted as delivered.

The last three rows come from official statistics and are explained further down. The rest is a count of what developers are building and publishing now, so it describes new-build supply rather than the whole housing market in either district.

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What kind of home does each district offer?

Kyrenia has more houses. More than a third of its projects include villas, bungalows or townhouses, and they are spread across the district: in the hillside villages behind the town, Edremit in particular, on the mixed sites of the east coast and in a handful of west-coast projects. In Kyrenia town itself, every project is flats. The Kyrenia area guide takes the four parts of the district in turn.

İskele leans towards flats. Studios are offered in 41% of its projects, against 27% in Kyrenia, and duplex or loft layouts are more common too. On the Long Beach and Boğaz coast, 10 of the 15 projects that list unit types include studios, and only one includes villas. Most of İskele's villa and townhouse projects are away from that strip, in Ötüken, around İskele town and on the coast towards Kalecik. Many of the coastal projects are large sites with several hundred homes and a long list of shared facilities; the İskele and Long Beach area guide describes them in more detail.

If you already know you want a detached house with a garden, the choice is easier: Kyrenia has roughly three times as many villa projects. For a one-bedroom flat or a studio by the sea, both districts have plenty, though they make up a bigger share of what is on offer in İskele.

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Delivered projects and later completion dates

Of the Kyrenia projects that publish a delivery date, 17 of 45 are already delivered. In İskele the figure is 6 of 32. More of İskele's projects are also further off: 8 projects give a date of 2028 or later, one of them 2029, against 3 in Kyrenia. Most of the remaining projects in both districts are planned for 2026 and 2027.

The official figures tell a similar story. The TRNC Statistical Institute counts homes when they receive final approval, the certificate a finished building needs before titles can be issued. For 2025 its construction bulletin records final approval for 344 dwelling units inside Girne's municipal boundaries and 1,460 in the district's rural areas, against 204 inside İskele's municipal boundaries and 351 in its rural areas. Kyrenia completed more than three times as many homes as İskele that year.

In practical terms, buying off-plan in İskele more often means a longer wait between paying your first stage and receiving the keys, and the title deed comes after the building's final approval. The UK government's guidance on buying property in Cyprus lists difficulty in obtaining final completion certificates among the issues British nationals raise most often, and notes that deeds cannot be issued without one. Whichever district you choose, ask the developer for the building permit and how far construction has got.

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Where do British buyers already live?

Mostly in Kyrenia. In the 2011 census, 3,693 residents of the north were recorded with British citizenship, and 3,057 of them lived in the Kyrenia district. İskele had 149. The district population then was 69,163 in Kyrenia and 22,492 in İskele.

That census is the most recent one for which the institute publishes district tables, so the figures are fifteen years old and say nothing about how either district has changed since. They do show that Kyrenia has the longer history of British residents, while İskele's new-build supply today is concentrated on the large coastal sites.

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Do the purchase rules differ between Kyrenia and İskele?

No. The same law applies across North Cyprus. A foreign buyer needs permission from the Council of Ministers and, under Decree-Law 119/2026, may own up to three flats, or one detached house on land of up to 3,300 m², or a plot of up to 1,338 m² with one home on it, or two two-storey villas on a gated site. The higher limits for nationals of states that recognise the TRNC do not apply to British buyers. The transfer fee for a first property bought by a British buyer is 4%, under the fee schedule in force until 5 January 2027, in both districts.

One rule weighs more heavily on the big developments of flats that are common in İskele. The decree says that, for flats, foreigners of the same nationality may not buy more than half of the homes on the same parcel, and that under Decree 119/2026 no more than 80% of a housing project may be sold to foreigners. On a large coastal site popular with one nationality, ask the developer how sales so far compare with those limits before you pay a deposit.

The full process, from the reservation to the title deed, is in our guide to buying a new build from a developer. For the Kyrenia end, including costs, see the Kyrenia buying guide.

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Four questions that usually decide it

1. House or flat? For a villa, Kyrenia has far more projects to compare. For a studio or one-bedroom flat, either district will do, and İskele has more studios.
2. How soon do you want to move in? If you want a finished home, Kyrenia has more delivered projects. If you can wait, İskele's later projects give you more to choose from.
3. Town or resort site? Kyrenia is an established town with its harbour, villages and coast. İskele's new-build stock is concentrated on large sites along the Long Beach coast.
4. How many neighbours will you share costs with? Under the Condominium Law, each owner pays an equal share of staff costs such as the manager, gardener and caretaker, and a share of upkeep and insurance in proportion to their land share, unless the owners agree otherwise. An owner cannot avoid that share by saying they do not use a shared facility. On a site with pools, a spa and a beach club, ask for the management plan and an estimate of the yearly charge.

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Frequently asked questions

Is it better to buy in Girne or İskele?

Neither is better across the board. Kyrenia suits buyers who want a villa, an established town and a finished home. İskele suits buyers who want a smaller flat on a large seafront site and can wait for completion.

Can foreigners legally buy property in North Cyprus?

Yes, under TRNC law, with permission from the Council of Ministers and within the limits on the number of homes and the land area. The UK government warns that permission can be refused without a reason being given, even for land with pre-1974 Turkish title, and advises taking independent legal advice.

What is the best place to live in Northern Cyprus?

That depends on what you want day to day. Kyrenia is the larger district, with the bigger British community and more varied settings. İskele has a smaller population, and most of its new building is on the coast. It is worth visiting both before you commit.

What are the pitfalls of buying property in Cyprus?

The UK government lists the issues British nationals raise most often: lawyers who also act for the seller or the builder and so are not independent, building work without the right permits, payment plans or fees left out of the contract, and difficulty obtaining final completion certificates. It also warns that developers often have mortgages on the land, which your lawyer should check through a land search before you sign.

Are Kyrenia and İskele both in the Turkish part of Cyprus?

Yes. Kyrenia is on the north coast and İskele on the east coast, both in the area administered by the TRNC. The British government does not recognise the TRNC.

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Where to go next

Once you have a favourite, open the list for that district: new-build projects in Kyrenia or new-build projects in İskele. Pick two or three projects of the type you want and use the form on each project page to ask the developer for prices, the payment plan, the building permit and a sample management plan.

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Sources

• TRNC Statistical Institute, Construction and Parcel Statistics 2025 (published October 2026), dwelling units given final approval by district: stat.gov.ct.tr, checked 25 October 2026.
• TRNC Statistical Institute, 2011 Population Census, Table 1, resident population by district: stat.gov.ct.tr, checked 25 October 2026.
• TRNC Statistical Institute, 2011 Population Census, Table 5, resident population by district and citizenship: stat.gov.ct.tr, checked 25 October 2026.
• TRNC Official Gazette no. 196, Decree-Law 119/2026 on the rules for foreigners acquiring immovable property, 6 October 2026: basimevi.gov.ct.tr, checked 25 October 2026.
• TRNC Official Gazette no. 197, land registry fee schedule, 7 October 2026: basimevi.gov.ct.tr, checked 25 October 2026.
• Condominium and Floor Easement Law 35/2010, consolidated text of 2 July 2026, section 22: mevzuat.gov.ct.tr, checked 25 October 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Cyprus: buying property: gov.uk, checked 25 October 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Cyprus travel advice, safety and security: gov.uk, checked 25 October 2026.

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